Black children were virtually barred from leaving their apartments without adult supervision, and families faced fines for violating rules that, according to a lawsuit headed to pretrial Wednesday, targeted black residents who were accused of lowering the property value.

The federal suit, along with a separate case filed by a former employee, allege that ownership and management of the Grand Reserve at Pike Road apartments repeatedly discriminated against black staff and residents through intentionally prejudiced rules, monetary threats and unjustified staff firings.

Kimberly and Dedric Belcher, along with their three minor children, allege several rules created in March 2015 — as well as an existing one from 2012 — prevented their children from leaving the family’s apartment without adult supervision.

The property manager allegedly told Kimberly Belcher that “we are not the ghetto.”

The rules barred kids 18 and younger from using the pool, gym and sauna without an adult, court documents show. Children 17 and younger had an 8:30 p.m. curfew and were required to be accompanied by an adult when on the complex, except when heading to the school bus area, per court documents.

Violation of the gym rule carried a $200 fine.

White children were often in the gym, out on the property and in the laundry room without their parents, Blecher said in court documents, adding that maintenance workers questioned black children at the pool, something she never saw happen to white children.

The family alleges that the rules were made to intentionally keep black children inside their apartments, created significant strain within their household and violated the federal Fair Housing Act, the Alabama Fair Housing Law and Alabama common law.

Owners Juston Trimback and Steven Corbett could not be reached for comment, but court documents said the apartment created the rules because of several disturbances by tenants.

"I began to receive an increasing number of complaints from residents about excessive noise, profanity, use of offensive language (including the n-word), condoms on the playground, underwear in the gym, marijuana use on the playground, vandalism, littering, and the like. I also witnessed some of these problems myself," according to property manager Brittany Allen's affidavit.

In her affidavit, Allen denied the existence of the rule that required adult supervision at all times on the property for children 17 and younger.

The rules strained the Belcher marriage as well, per court documents, and they fought after every complaint about their children.

"All three children were constantly angry, frustrated and flustered that they had to
come inside after school, be inside on weekends and could not be with their friends
outside," Kimberly Belcher said in the court documents. "The reaction of [her] family to the rules was a feeling of shock, surprise, frustration, impotence and feeling trapped.”

"I lived in the same building as the Belchers and, on more than one occasion, I heard loud arguments from their apartment," Allen said in her affadavit. "During one particularly loud argument, the police were called to the Belchers’ apartment."

Dedric Belcher, a police officer, eventually moved to a separate apartment, fearing he would lose his job because of the complaints and subsequent fights, according to court documents.

The apartment company was successful in stopping about half the claims presented, though a judge recently ruled that the court would carry forward with compensation claims for racial and familial discrimination, retaliation and claims of disturbed use and enjoyment of their apartment.

James Long, the Belchers' lawyer, was confident about their chances at trial.

“I have several cases in federal and state court,” Long said. “I have not run across other cases involving rules that were pretty black and white like these ones.”

Former Grand Reserve assistant manager Khelsi Harvest also filed suit against the apartment company, claiming the company violated the Fair Housing Act, subjected her to racial discrimination and fired her because they were afraid she would testify in favor of the Belchers.

Harvest was first hired as a temp by Grand Reserve and quickly promoted to assistant property manager after only two weeks of employment. The job was initially a good fit, she said in a telephone interview.

Soon though, she said upper management began bringing up supposed complaints about black residents, Harvest said.

"Brittany Allen told me that two tenants called her and asked if the property was turning into Section 8 Housing because of the increased number of blacks on the property," she said in court documents, adding that Allen said, "White people complained that there were too many blacks moving into and living at the Grand Reserve thereby reducing the value of the property."

Harvest doubted those complaints, saying she believes management at the complex created the policies to single out black families and residents.

Brittney Allen initially answered when contacted by a reporter, but the call was disconnected.

Harvest was let go from her position at the Grand Reserve because management claimed the position was no longer needed, she said in a telephone interview. Soon after, court documents allege that the role was filled by a white man.

Harvest said she thinks the company fired her to prevent her from testifying in the Belcher suit. When the Belchers reached out to the apartment to find a contact number for Harvest, she said workers at the apartment claimed to not have her contact information, even though Harvest was still living in the same apartment.

“It put myself and my family in a very hard position to be in," she said. “My kids were in school, and I couldn’t uproot them.”

Currently, Harvest’s case is stalled in court, awaiting an answer from a judge before it can carry forward. Harvest is also seeking monetary compensation.

Long said the Belchers’ case is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which could fine the apartment owners up to $50,000 if they determine discrimination took place.

That judgment is delayed though, Long said, likely until a decision is reached in court.